NOWHERE TO GO BUT UP: Victory Ranch, founded by Memphians Dennis and Anne Smith, has grown considerably in recent years, attracting as many as 700-plus campers each summer to its Bolivar, Tenn.-based site. (Photo by Garrett Harrison)
Dennis Smith, the longtime director of operations and athletics at Presbyterian Day School, has always exhibited the fervent desire for expanding in ministry through sports, recreation, and teachings based on Biblical principles.
Little did he know, his passion for ministry would come full circle when he and his wife, Anne, founded Victory Ranch in nearby Bolivar, Tenn.
?We?ve been involved in education for a long time,? Dennis Smith, a native of Memphis, said. ?And we felt there would be more of a bigger opportunity for ministry for a captive audience.?
Such a following, in many aspects, has benefited the Smiths immensely, in large part because Victory Ranch, a non-profit, Christian-based organization that will?begin its 10th year?of operations next month, has had an international impact in recent years, a trend that has resulted in considerable amount of growth since its inception.
Established in November 2002, Victory Ranch first began serving Mid-Southerners as a retreat destination. In 2004, the organization held its first full-fledge summer camp, accommodating as many as 400 attendees on its spacious campus, which is housed roughly one mile away from the nearest highway in the rural town of Bolivar. Today, Victory Ranch rests on approximately 500 acres, more than 100 of which feature a majority of its camp activities from various sports and recreations, horse trails, equestrians, and other camp-related outdoor events.
Designed primarily as a summer camp for kids, Victory Ranch?s Outdoor Challenge facilities are considered among the best in the country, in part because they meet exacting construction and safety standards, a spokesman for the organization said. For instance, its four air-conditioned lodges can accommodate groups up to 160 for overnight outings. Each lodge, in fact, is equipped with a commons room suitable for small group meetings. And its dining hall gives large groups plenty of room and all the audio-visual equipment necessary.
?We have unbelievable facilities,? Dennis Smith said.
Not only that, Victory Ranch earned a reputation as one of America?s most popular summer camps, considering it is comprised of educators and our adventure specialists who are armed with a wealth of passion for nurturing and challenging children from various walks of life. A number of Victory Ranch staffers ? all of whom have close ties to Dennis and Anne Smith ? have been affiliated with the organization since its inception, which has proven beneficial in terms of attracting young campers on an annual basis.
Dennis and Anne Smith founded Victory Ranch in November 2002 and hosted their first summer camp in May 2004.
?I would say our staff of full-time directors and college students have been the key to our staff,? Dennis Smith said. ?We have a connection to each one we hire, whether they?re in high or college. Unlike most camps and organizations, we have to know them in order to hire them.
In recent years, Victory Ranch hosted seven camps, which typically began in late May and ran through the end of July. This year, however, organizers have upped that number to eight, largely because of the lengthy waiting lists for five camps last year. The first weeklong camp is scheduled to begin on May 28. In all, organizers expect as many as 800 youngsters this year.
What?s so intriguing about Victory Ranch is that its summer youth programs routinely attract campers from as many as 60 American cities, approximately 25 U. S. states, not to mention a number of attendees from foreign countries such as England, German, and Puerto Rico.
?I think it?s neat to have that diverse camp,? said Dennis Smith, whose wife, Anne, is an Art and Technology instructor at Evangelical Christian School. ?Obviously, it?s more laid back in the South. But it?s great to have that international presence.?
If this year mirrors the success and overwhelming responses Victory Ranch garnered last year, Dennis Smith said the possibility exist his staff will add a ninth camp next year to an organization that just keeps expanding.
?It?s not a 9 (am) to 3 (pm) camp,? he said. ?If they come on Sunday, they stay a whole week and some even stay two weeks if they like. We?re certainly proud to be a part of it. We live and breathe summer camps.?
Registration for Victory Ranch camps will take place until all spots are filled. For more information, call (731) 659-2251 or visit www.victoryranch.org.
Andre Johnson is a senior writer and the NBA reporter for MemphiSport. To reach Johnson, email him at andre@memphisport.net. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
Source: http://memphisport.com/2013/04/victory-ranch-summer-camp-having-international-impact-in-its-tenth/
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